Hold the Guinness?!

So many of us know the Guinness and beef combination for a stew. It's time to try another Irish stout: Murphy's Irish stout. And since you've opened one can, you've got the remaining 3+ pints of the four-pack to enjoy while you anxiously wait for the stew that's filling your entire house with great smells. Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all.

Beef and Murphy's Stew


2 lb cubes of stewing beef (trimmed of fat; 2 inch cubes)
3 Tbs oil
2 Tbs flour
salt and freshly ground pepper and pinch of cayenne
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1 large clove garlic, crushed
2 Tbs tomato purée, dissolved in 4 Tbs water
1.25 cups Murphy's Irish stout
2 cups carrots, cut into chunks
sprig of thyme


Toss beef cubes with 1 Tbs oil. Season the flour with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Toss the meat in this mixture. Heat the remaining oil in a wide frying pan over high heat. Brown the meat on all sides. Add the onions, crushed garlic and tomato purée to the pan, cover and cook gently for 5 minutes. Transfer the contents of the pan to a casserole, and pour some of the Murphy's into the frying pan. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the caramelized meat juices in the pan. Pour onto the meat with the remaining Murphy's; add the carrots and thyme. Stir, taste, and add a little more salt, if necessary. Cover with the lid of the casserole and simmer very gently until the meat is tender, 2-3 hours. The stew may be cooked on top of the stove or in a low oven at 300ºF. Taste and correct the seasoning. Scatter with lots of chopped parsley and serve with mashed or plain boiled potatoes.